Ladle-tilt-hook-operating mechanism



L. 1. R033 AND R. M. BlCKLEY.

LADLE TILT HOOK OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- l3| I920. 1,371,81 2, Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

s SHEETSSHEET 1.

my affozuuf L. .I, ROBB- AND R. M. BICKLEY.

LADLE TH] HOOK OPERATING IECHANISI.

APPLICATION FILED mm. 13. I920.

1,371,81 2 Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L. J. BQB B AND R.- M. BICKLEY. [ABLE TILT HOOK OPERATING MECHANISM- APPLICATION FiLED MAR.I3, 1920.

1,37 1,812. Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlfiE.

LEWIS a". BOBB AND ROSS M. BIOKLEY, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS To HEYL & PATTERSON, INCORPORATED, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, .A.

CORPORATION, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15,1921.

Application filed March 13, 1920. Serial No. 365,417.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Lnwls J Bonn and Ross M. BIOKLEY, residing at Pittsburgh, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in LadleTilt-Hook-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- I Figure 1 is a view largely dlagrammatic showing a casting house and the location and operation of the device embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view illustrating the device and the manner of its operation; and

Fig. 3 is a side view.

In metal casting plants, the hot metal 1s brought to a pig-casting machine or to a hot metal mixer in ladle cars. The cars are properly positioned with regard to a pouring stand, and the ladle is then t lted to effeet a pour. This tilting is earned out by means of a hook, which is suspended from a drum of an overhead lifting device, and which is adapted to engage the ladle and tilt it on the pouring stand. In practice, it is necessary that the tilting hook shall normallv be out of the road when the ladles are brought in; and heretofore manual labor has been employed for the purpose of pushing the hook into engagement with the tilting lug on the ladle.

Our invention provides mechanical means of simple and efiicient character which can be controlled from any suitable point, where bv the tilting hook may be pushed into engagement with the lug of the ladle without the necessity of manual. labor.

Referring to the accompanying drawlngs, in which we have shown the preferred embodiment of our invention, the numeral 2 designates a pouring stand, which is properly located in the casting house, with respect to the trough or runner into which the hot metal is to be poured. 3 designates a hot metal ladle of well known character which is tiltably mounted by means of trunnions l in bearings 5 of a ladle car 6, ar-

ranged to travel on tracks 7 to a position opposite the pouring stand 2. The ladle is provided with the usual lips 8 for engage ment with the pouring stand, it being customary to provide two of these lips at opposite sides for either a rightor left hand pouring. 9 designates a tilting lug on the ladle. 1O designates a tilting hook which is suspended from the overhead winding drum 11, and which is positioned in the usual manner opposite the pouring stand for engagement with the lug 9.

For the purpose of operating the hook 10 mechanically we provide a suitable motive device which, in the present instance, consists of a double-acting cylinder 12, which may be operated either by air, steam or water, and whose piston is connected by the rod 13 to a bail-shaped lever'll, carrying at its upper end an antifriction roller 15, agalnst which the heel portion of the hook 10 rests. It will be obvious, however, that any other suitable motive device may be employed.

In peration, when the ladle is properly positioned opposite the pouring stand, the lever 14 1s actuated by means of the cylinder 12 to push the ladle hook 10 from the position shown in "full lines in Fig. 2 into the position shown in dotted lines in said figure. The ladle hoist engine or motor is then started and the hook drawn up into engagement with said lug, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1. The cylinder is then actuated to throw the lever 10 back to its original position. The ladle is now tilted to the pouring position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When all the metal has been drained out of the ladle, the latter is lowered back to its original position and just before the strain is taken off the hook 10, the lever 14 is again thrown into position to engage said hook. The hook is again lowered so as to disengage the lug 9 and the lever 14 again thrown back, permitting the hook to swing back to its proper position for the next ladle when brought in.

The invention provides a simple, efiicient, and convenient device for the purpose. The cylinder 12 can be readily controlled from any desired point, usually from the operators pulpit where the operator is stationed who operates the pig machine'and the ladletilting means. The invention is also a desirable one from a safety standpoint, since it insures that the hook 10 may at all times be located sufiiciently at one side of the track 7 to avoid danger to the men, there usually being more or less switching taking place on said track.

It will be readily understood that various changes can be made in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts,

I without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim: r

1. A ladle tilt-hook operating device comprising a member adapted to engage the tilt hook and move it into engaging position, and a power cylinder operatively connected to said device, substantially as described.

2. In mechanism of the character described, the combination with a suspended swinging tilt-hook, of a lever member adapted to engage said hook, and means for actuating said lever member to thereby move the hook into and out of ladle-engaging position, substantially as described.

3. In mechanism of the character described, the combination with a suspended ladle tilt hook, of a bail-shaped lever having an antifriction roller adapted for engagement with the back or heel portion of the hook, and a power cylinder operatively connected to said lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

LEWIS J. ROBE. ROSS M. BICKLEY. 

